montgomeryadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:
10.24.2008

The Big Plays

Hey everyone. Thanks for being so civil and reasonable with your comments during the past 15 hours or so. That's why the HABOTN is too darn hot: Quality people speakin' the truth without the need to posture.

Why posture when you know the BANHAMMER > you?

OK. So we've got Thomas H. Tuberville on the line at 3. I'm doing this one on the phone. I'll basically do what I did for Franklin -- type it live as best I can.

I went back through the play-by-play during the flights home today. Here are the official Jay G's Six Biggest Plays of The Game:
  • Wes Byrum's missed 44-yard FG (third quarter): Auburn actually built a nice little drive there, moved the ball 52 yards. Then Byrum comes in there and shanks one wide left. That would have tied the game. Everything went downhill for the Tigers after that.

  • Mario Fannin goes for no gain on 3rd-and-goal from the 1 (first quarter): Gotta have that one. Just gotta. Someone blew that call; either Kodi Burns handed off the wrong direction or Fannin ran the wrong direction. It was a hideously mistimed error.

  • Burns stuffed on 3rd-and-2 (second quarter): This was just before half-time. Auburn had moved just beyond mid-field, then asked Burns to convert a short third down with a keeper. He gained only one yard. This was a prime opportunity to build momentum going into the second half.

  • Walt McFadden flagged for pass interference on third down (third quarter): It was 3rd-and-4 from the AU 43. The pass wasn't going to be caught and both players were fighting for position. McFadden pushed a bit more, though, and cost his team an important third-down stop. The Mountaineers scored moments later on a field goal -- their first score of the second half.

  • Montez Billings loses 7 yards on a reverse (second quarter): Auburn was ahead 17-3 and just recovered an on-side kick. They were trying to seize momentum with a trick play, which I considered a sound strategic decision. I would have attempted something similar in that circumstance. I'm not going to rip Tuberville & Co. for the call, but losing yards provided a significant mental blow. Auburn seemed to lose confidence after that.

  • Noel Devine gains 36 yards on the first play an important WVU drive (second quarter): It was a mis-direction pitch of some kind that completely fooled the Tigers. Auburn had gone ahead 10-0 moments earlier and the pressure was on WVU to make something happen. This was it. The play shocked the Tigers' defense and fueled the home team's first scoring drive.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

34 Comments:

Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

Expecting anything exciting for the standard press conference today?

2:39 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Nah. Nothing exciting just yet.

2:46 PM  
Blogger frizzle said...

Ask Tuberville about his sweet jacket.

2:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Will the something exciting be during the season or afterward? After last night there can be no doubt it is coming.

2:50 PM  
Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

I missed your radio appearance due to driving. Have you talked to anyone behind the scenes to get a pulse of the situation?

2:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I disagree on the reverse. I thought it was a really dumb call. We don't have an athlete who can run that a la Harvin or Holliday. Perhaps a flea flicker or some other gadget play, but not a reverse with our personnel.

TigerTarHeel

2:53 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

People are unhappy.

Popularity has eroded.

2:53 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

The call was innovative and it was a point in the game when innovation seemed appropriate.

I'd have tried that, so I can't hate.

2:54 PM  
Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

The timing of the reverse was the problem. At that point in time we were just running down their throats and we should have kept doing that.

2:56 PM  
Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

Well...I do believe if Billings had kept running to the outside, he would have had a shot at a big play.

2:57 PM  
Blogger ADP said...

Isn't that the same play LSU ran after the recovered the onside kick against us?

2:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

innovative: ahead of the times; being or producing something like nothing done or experienced or created before

Having already lost yards on nearly 1/3 of our plays this year, that reverse was hardly innovative ;-)

2:59 PM  
Blogger Monica said...

What I heard Jay say on the radio that was something new (to me at least) was that Auburn doesn't have talent. That it's not that CTT has lost the team it's just that the talent isn't there. That's all a paraphrase. Did I hear you right, Jay? Straighten me out on that.

2:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tuberville is gone, and it can't happen soon enough. Make the call to Austin....NOW.

3:00 PM  
Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

Monica- IF that is the case, which I definitely believe is the case on offense, that can only point to one person.

3:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Crazy question:

How many times has our defense made a big sack for a huge loss of yardage ONLY to give all of it up on the VERY NEXT FREAKING PLAY by a draw play or QB scramble?

I can recall that happening at least twice last night.

Just maddening.

3:01 PM  
Blogger frizzle said...

The reverse took too long to develop.

3:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There is no one in Austin that I want to coach AU, other than perhaps Mack Brown (haha, like that could happen). To be honest, I can't think of anyone who I would want AND who I think would take the job. I certainly don't want WM acting loony on the sidelines.

3:02 PM  
Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

I've never seen so many big plays of 20+ yards in one game as I saw in that one in a long time.

3:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

QUESTION. Has a Tuberville coached Auburn team ever come back from more than 10 points to win a game? I went back to 2004, and unless I've missed something it hasn't happened. I'm not sure what that says, but it can't be good.

3:02 PM  
Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

Muschamp is a very interesting candidate due to his recruiting ability, but I don't think he would be first choice, but I do think he could be really good.

3:04 PM  
Blogger WDEwg said...

Not that I put a ton of weight into talking heads at halftime, but didn't Craig James unsolicited said that AU had just as much talent as other schools (except USC, he says)? The problem was upheavel in system and managing through that transition. He seemed to think Tubs would be fine. I think this was also before the game, or at half.

PS-- If Lou holtz said "Here we go again" one more time, I was going to drive to WVU and strangle him.

3:04 PM  
Blogger Monica said...

Hi anonymous posters : You can go over to https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount and set yourself up an account if you like.

Also, don't forget to head over to chatroll.com to 1) set up an account 2) join the HABOTN forum 3) stay tuned for Jay G. to announce Campfires - real time chats with Jay and other HOTTIES

3:05 PM  
Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

Should have in 02 at Florida, but it didn't happen. I can't think of a time. By watching this team, it doesn't seem hard to do.

3:05 PM  
Blogger Eddie McCoy said...

Monica is now on the HABOTN Payroll as Head of Marketing :)

3:06 PM  
Blogger frizzle said...

I'd take the coach at Boise,Utah, and Oklahoma State. Kiffin would also be on the list and for assistants I would go after the Oklahoma OC. Jacobs should just send them e-mails asking if they want to coach at Auburn and have the options of yes no or maybe and go from there.

3:06 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

Kmo171,

We were down 17-0 to Syracuse in the 2nd quarter in 2002, 17-3 at the half and came back to win.

3:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

AU trailed the 'cuse in '03 by a 17-3 score and AU won in 3(or2)OTs

3:09 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

I don't know why we bother with reverses this year, they haven't worked all year long.

Our OL & WR's don't hold blocks long enough and we don't have the speed to hit the corner fast on a play like that.

I just wouldn't have ran any play that far behind the line of scrimmage with the way the OL isn't stickign with their man.

3:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oops, wareglerk's facts are closer to the truth than mine

3:10 PM  
Blogger ADP said...

Lou Holtz sounds more and more like Slyvester the Puttycat.

3:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks guys. So thats one legit comeback in nearly a decade. I guess we can look at it in one of two ways. Auburn is so good they have never had to play from behind, or as soon as Auburn gets behind the team packs it in.

3:11 PM  
Blogger Jim in Scranton said...

That stat is unbelievable. We haven't come back from more than 10 points since 2002.

And in all 4 losses this year the opponent has come back from 10 points or more.

3:13 PM  
Blogger astatguy said...

I liked the reverse call. I agree with frizzle, though, in that it took too long to develop. It still have value, like a called bluff in poker - now they know you'll do it and have to watch for it.

9:27 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home


follow me on Twitter

• THE RING OF FIRE •
INAUGURAL CLASS
Phormerly Phred
Scottie B. in Tennessee
crudup
Hoopie
Ron Mexico
hip-hopanonymous
AUnMobilz
Sullivan013
Scott from Tucson
scottatl
jhag **FRANCHISE PLAYER**

CLASS OF 2008
Peter Frankenschmidt
Mr. Sensible
WarEagleRK

CLASS OF 2009
eddie4au
FakeSteveJobs (aka FSJ)
AUBigCat
michael
Steve from Columbia (aka SteveFC)
kristina
Jet

WHERE EAGLES SOAR
AUFan365 was Larry Bailey, 1948-2010

FEELING THE HEAT
WarEagleGirl
TarHeelTiger
Kathy
D. Miller
Dear Leader
j-z
Norm
digger4au
Harrison
LuvAU1968
cincytiger
mytommyd (is supposed to be mrtommyd)
ehyoutiger
wtc
IV
wakeriderof87
Sean
Scott Chocolate
NoVaTiger
Taylor
BinOBA
wes
Aeronaut
chip chip
Spongeworthy
Loganville Tiger
E-Bro
Ephemeral
au1n04
FearlessFreep
coosa
bear82
wartiger
patdyeswildturkey
atlantatiger
JD the Biscuitator
shesaid
depressedAUfan
dnatl

NOTABLE NEWCOMERS
Cousin Humpers = Bammers (aka CH=B)
dan dan the AU fan
bellefay1
API
Jay 'W. not Tate'
missinit
Craig Miller
AU1292
MLF
Comm'r of Flesh Wounds
Stupup74
61northak
Jimmy
bigdaddy334
Secondaid
Andrew
SCoats
astatguy
Jason Crawford
paulmain
Lowcountry Tiger
BigEZ
Will
WDCWE

MY PEEPS
Wifey
cpf
GritzNGravy
roundtable
Josh_Moon
MrsFrontRim & FrontRim
ChuckCrim
troyznoiz

FIRST DOCUMENTED POSTER
Buck

BANHAMMERED
Hamburglar
ROLLTIDEROLL
hairydawg
DavidOku
Jay_G (an impostor)
WarEagleogDotCom

Powered by Blogger

Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]

Advertisement